Bag wrapping machine



Jan. 13, 1953 H. G. ALLEN BAG WRAPPING MACHINE y 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1948 Hoa/Grd G. A//e/y Ja'n. 13, 1953 H. G. ALLEN BAG WRAPPING MACHINE 4 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1948 Hoa/afd l 6. A//en Jan.. 13.3, 1953 H. G. ALLEN BAG WRAPPING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 9, 1948 Tw/@enor ,Howard G. /I//e/v @ma @wwf @m- Jan. 113, 1953 H. G. ALLEN 2,624,990

BAG WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9, 1948 4 SheetsSheet-4 Patented Jan. 13, 1953 BAG WRAPPING MACHINE Howard G. Allen, Niagara Falls, N. Y., assignor to Savannah Sugar Refining Corporation, Sa-

vannah, Ga.

Application September 9, 1948, Serial No. 48,445

24 claims. l

This invention relates to bag-forming apparatus for fabricating a bag of paper or similar material.

At the present time the process of packaging goods in paper bags generally comprises the fabrication of a complete bag closed at one end and open at the other, following which the articles to be packaged in the bag are deposited therein in one Way or another, and the mouth or open end of the bag is subsequently closed and sealed in any desired manner. The present invention contemplates novel means for packaging articles which may be stacked in some predetermined arrangement Which they are desired to occupy in the bag. In the prior art articles of this class have previously been gathered or grouped in a desired arrangement, then placed in pre-fabricated bags with open tops, the tops of the bags being subsequently closed in various ways.

According to the present invention a group of properly correlated articles are automatically fed to a bag forming station where a blank sheet, from which a bag is to be formed, is wrapped about the stacked or grouped articles in tubular form. The paper blank is arranged to encircle the grouped articles in multiple layers and means are provided for adhesively securing adjacent layers of the bag blank to each other to avoid subsequent shifting of the layers, the ultimate product being a bag of great stability and structural strength.

The present invention further provides means for delivering the group or stack of articles thus wrapped in tubular fashion to a conveyor or other delivery means or directly to machinery for performing subsequent operations, with which machinery or other means the present invention is not concerned. The operation of the present apparatus ends with the delivery of the articles having securely wrapped therearound the bag blank in tubular form and open at both ends. The manner in which the two open ends of the bag are tucked or folded and closed and sealed or otherwise secured is not a part of the present invention. The subsequent steps and operations may be performed manually or by other automatic or semi-automatic machines.

The following specic description and accompanying drawings set forth a complete embodiment of one form of the apparatus of the present invention by Way of example, but it is to be understood that the principles of the invention are not limited thereto, and that various mechanical modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is not limited excepting as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a general top plan View of one form of the apparatus of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of a portion of the apparatus viewed as in Fig. 2, but on a larger scale and with portions thereof shown in cross-section;

Fig. 4 is a further fragmentary elevational view showing the central mounting portion of the machine viewed at right angles to Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4 and likewise showing the central mounting portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of the bag wrapping or forming portion of the apparatus, the direction in which the view is taken being the same as in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a further fragmentary elevational View of the apparatus of Fig. 6 viewed from the right as shown in Fig. 6 and with portions thereof broken away as indicated by the crosssectional line 1-1 on Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal end view of a group of articles with the bag blank wrapped therearound in multiple layers and with the means for holding the articles stacked during wrapping still in position; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of means for removing the wrapped articles from the temporary holding means, the view being taken from the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

Speaking generally, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a turret type machine having a rotatable vertical central supporting shaft and a number of horizontally radiating article holding devices. In the present instance these article receiving and holding devices are four in number and rotate serially past four work stations.

The article receiving and holding devices are moved or indexed from one position to the next by step-by-step rotation of the central supporting shaft. At the iirst Work station the articles to be bagged are introduced to the article holding means. At the second station the bag blank is wrapped about the articles thus held in a novel manner and in multiple layers to form a secure and adhesively fastened operi ended tube about the articles.

In the third station any other operation not involved in the present invention rnay be performed; for instance, the outside of the partially formed bag may be printed or otherwise acted upon. At the fourth station the articles, enclosed as they are in the adhesively secured paper tube which comprises a partially formed bag, are removed from the article receiving and holding devices and deposited upon a conveyor or the like for subsequent handling and closing by apparatus not herein involved or by purely inanual means.

Referring to Figs. l and 5, particularly, the central supporting shaft previously referred to is designated I5 and is rotatably supported by upper and lower bearings i5 and il which are secured to upper and lower frame members ii and I9.

Between the upper and lower bearings le and Il', supporting shaft l5 has fixed thereto a central plate 25 which supports the four article receiving and holding devices. One of those dee vices is shown in full in Figs. 4 and 5 and reierence thereto will now be had. The article receiving and holding device shown in full lines in Figs. 4 and 5 is at the bag wrapping station. As appears best in Fig. 5, a stationary holding arm, designated generally 22, comprises an inner portion of channel cross-section designated which is xed to plate by riveting or by means of screws or by welding or in any other desired manner.

The outer portion of arm 22 has a base frange portion 25 and an outer side flange portion 2G. A vertical transverse ange or plate portion 2'! is welded or otherwise secured to flanges 25 and 26 and comprises a rear or inner wall of the article receiving and holding space of arm 22. A second arm designated generally Si! has an inner portion of channel cross-section designated 3| which is pivotally attached to supportinsT plate 20 as by means of a bolt or screw 32. The outer portion of arm 30 likewise comprises a bottom flange 3A. and an outer side flange 33, and an inner or rear defining wall is provided by means of a vertical transverse ange or plate portion 3? which is welded or otherwise iXed in the apex of flanges 34 and 3S.

Arm 3G is thus pivotally movable toward and away from stationary arm 22 as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 5. Such movement is under the control of an air cylinder or pneumatic strut 'J9 which is pivoted at its opposite ends to the arms 22 and 30, preferably at a point just behind or inside of rear walls 2l and 37. The mode of operation of air cylinder (iii will be hereinafter described.

Fixed to central shaft l5. below the frame meinber I 9 is an indexing ratchet wheel which has four peripheral notches for successive engagement by a ratchet pawl (i2 carried by a ratchet pawl arm 53 which is mounted upon central shaft i5 for free rotation. Ratchet pawl arm 43 is oscillated to and fro to index central shaft I5 and the article receiving and supporting devices by means of a pneumatic strut or air cylinder 45 which is pvoted at one end to the outer end of arm 43 and at its opposite end to a stationary frame portion of the machine.

It will be seen from Fig. i that central shaft I 5 is provided with a bore 53 and a tube 5i is disposed centrally within the bore 53 but spaced inwardly of thewalls thereof. Tube 5I extends below bore as shown in Fig. 4 and also extends out of the upper end of shaft I5 where it has an air pressure connection 53.

At the lower end of tube 5I an air pressure passage 5t leads to a three position valve 55 for each of the article holding devices and a pair of passages 55 lead from each valve 55 to opposite ends of the related` air cylinder 3B. Each of the three-position valves 55, the details of which are conventional and well-known, normally close air conduit 54 and vent conduits 55 to neutralize the air cylinders 3Q. 'lhe valves have two operating plungers designated 60 and 6l. A plunger operator 62 is mounted on frame member i9 at the bag wrappinfy station in such position as to engage a plunger 68 when the particular article holding device reaches the bag wrapping station.

Operation of plunger Si? connects air from conduit [-4 with the air cylinder 39 at the bottom end thereof as viewed in Fig. 5. This moves thc operating piston (not shown) of air cylinder 3S upward to move arm til toward arm 22. A plunger operator Vlike that designated 62 in Fig. 4 is located at the loading station in alignment with plunger El, and the operation of plunger 6l by such operator at the loading station connects air pr ssure with the top of cylinder 38, as viewed in Fig. 5, to spread arms 22 and 3G to facilitate receiving articles therebetween.

Frame members i8 and I9 or igid structural extensions thereof may extend rearwardly (upward as viewed in Fig. 1 or to the right as viewed in Fie. 9) where they have rigid connection with a vertical door supported column 65.

Various articles or objects may be packed in bags according to the principles of the present invention, but, for convenience of discussion, reference will be had herein to sugar bagging where it is conventional to deposit twelve five-pound paper bags of sugar into a larger sixty-pound bag. As practiced by hand, the sixty-pound bag i is packed with three vertical layers of bags, each layer comprising four live-pound bags placed with their largest faces in juxtaposition and their longest position extending from front to back of the sixty-pound bag, that is the direction of least dimension of the sixty-pound bag.

In the specific form of apparatus set forth in the drawings by way of example and described in detail herein, the ultimate sixty-pound bag is wrapped horizontally around twelve rive-pound bags with the live-pound bags resting on their ends as is shown clearly at 68 in Fig. 1. That is to say, the sixty-pound bag is formed in such position that it may be considered as lying nat upon its front or rear face. Because the nnal seam occurs at the bottom of the wrapped tube in the position it occupies at the wrapping station, this would be considered to be the rear face of the ultimate bag.

The collection of the individual live-pound bags into a group of twelve, properly arranged, and the depositing of such group into a holder comprising arms 22 and 3Q is eii'ected by apparatus which is not unique to the present invention. Such apparatus is commercially available and standard equipment for effecting this part of the operation may be purchased from the Standard-Knapp Corporation, for instance Accordingly, the present disclosure includes merely a schematic or functional representation of this part of the apparatus.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conveyor belt I0 may bring a continuous series of sealed ve-pound bags 1| in upright position to pushing arm mechanism 'i2 which gathers the bags laterally into groups of four as at 13 in Fig. l. When a 5 group of four is collected, other arm mechanism 14 moves automatically to a greater degree than pushing mechanism 12 to shift the group 13 onto a table designated by the numeral 15 in Fig. 1 where group 13 registers with the open end of holding arms 22 and 30,

Each time a group of four reaches the table 15 of Fig. 1, a short stroke pusher 10 operates automatically to shift such row the distance of the bag width. When three such rows have been collected to form a group of twelve, a long stroke pusher designated 18 in Figs. l and 2 operates automatically to move the group of twelve from table 15 upon which they are collected to a position upon the horizontal flanges 25 and 34 of arms 22 and 30. respectively, between the side flanges 2S and 35 thereof, and back against their rear walls 21 and 31.

The final return movement of pusher 18 to its withdrawn position, which is accomplished by means of an air cylinder 82, may momentarily engage a limit switch (not shown) which in turn actuates a conventional air valve (not shown) to reverse the air pressure connection of air cylinder 45, causing it to move rocker arm 43 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5 and thus index shaft I5 and the several article holders radiating therefrom through an angle of 90. This brings the group of twelve live-pound bags supported by arms 22 and 30 to the bag wrapping station, as indicated at 03 in Fig. 1. and brings a succeeding pair of arms 22 and 30, which are then empty, to the loading station.

rlhe means for bringing a blank sheet to the wrapping station will now be described. In this connection, also, it is to be noted that, as in the case of the article gathering and loading means, the delivery of a blank sheet of paper to the bag wrapping elements per se is effected by devices which are generally conventional in the paper handling art and are merely routine matters with those skilled in the arts of paper handling, packaging and bundling generally.

Various limit switches are referred to for initiating and terminating different cycles of operation, and the selection and location of such switches and the manner in which they control electric operating motors and so forth need not be illustrated or described in detail in most cases since such illustration would only serve to needlessly complicate the disclosure. Specific illustration of these convention devices is made in those cases where such'illustration is deemed helpful to a proper understanding of the construction and operation of the apparatus of the present invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the numeral designates a paper supply roll mounted on a pair of supporting rolls 02 and 93, one or both of which may be power-operated if desired. The numeral Qll designates a truck or dolly mounted on tracks 95 and a freely rotatable guide roll S mounted thereon guides a paper web 01 from supply roll 9|, from whence the web passes upwardly over a tension roll 08, the latter being supported by pivoted levers |00 which are spring urged in a clockwise direction by extension coil springs |0|.

From tension roll 98 the web 91 passes between a pair of power driven feed rolls |02 and |03. The impulse which causes operation of the long stroke pusher 13 at the loading station may be employed to close the operating circuit for a drive motor (not shown) for driving feed rolls |02 and |03 to feed the end of web 91 between pivotally connected gripper bars |04 and |05 which are normally closed by springs |06 but are held open, in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 and in greater detail in Fig. 3, by stationary cam formations |08 carried by framework |09 of the paper delivery mechanism,

The gripper bars |04 and |05 are supported between a pair of endless chains ||5, each of which has a pair of sprockets ||6 and ||1 supported by suitable bearings mounted upon framework |00. A paper supporting table ||8 extends between the two chains ||5 along their upper reach and paper supporting rails |20 fixed to framework |00 are disposed below the lower reach of chains I5 to support the trailing end of a paper blank strip after it has been severed from web 91.

As the feed rolls |02 and |03 move the leading edge 91 between gripper bars |04 and |05 the side leading edge of the paper may engage a limit switch (not shown) for energizing a driving motor (not shown) for driving either of the sprockets ||6 or ||1 to move the chain in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. At a predetermined point along the upper run of gripper bars |04 and |05 they engage a limit switch which causes a single rotation of paper shearing rolls |25 and |26 disposed just forwardly of feed rolls |02 and |03. Shearing rolls |25 and |26 may be provided with a single revolution clutch (not shown) of conventional form, operable by the limit switch to cause the shearing rolls to execute a single rotation for shearing the web while it is in motion, being pulled along by grippers |04 and |05.

When grippers |04 and |05 reach a predetermined point in their upper run, gripper |04 engages a stationary cam block |33, see Fig. 3, which opens the grippers momentarily for sufficient time to release the blank strip, and thev grippers then pass on until they reach the full line of position of Fig. 3 where they have oompleted a single paper delivery cycle and a further limit switch is actuated to Cie-energize the motor which drives the sprockets ||6 and ||1.

Referring to Fig. 2, the numerals |21 through |3| designate a plurality of spray jets which comprise adhesive applicators which may connect with a common liquid adhesive supply pipe |32 carried by framework |00. Each of the jets |21 through |3|, illustrated in Fig. 2, represents a transverse row of jets of any desired number and the jets of the several rows may vary in number and be staggered with respect to adjacent rows in any desired manner. It will be noted that adhesive is sprayed on the paper blank on what is the under side thereof in its movement from right `to left as viewed in Fig. 2 and what is its upper side in its subsequent movement from left to right.

The arrival of each article holding pair of arms at the wrapping station actuates a suitably'located limit switch which operates a conventional air control valve to momentarily acblank'upwardly against the underside of a Vacuum pad or plate |38 associated with the`under side ofhorizontal'flange 25 of arm 22 of each of the holding devices.

Vacuum pad or plate |'38'holds the leading edge of the paper bag blank securely in proper psition before and during the actual bag wrapping operation. Referring again to Fig. 4, the bore which surrounds tube 5| in shaft H5 comprises a. Vacuum or suction passage having a subatmospheric pressure connection |60 at its upper end and conduits |4| leading from its lower end to each of the vacuum pads or plates |38. A control Valve |42 is interposed in each conduit |'4| and is normally closed.

Valves |42 have operating plungers |43 which are'adapted to be engaged by an operating roller |44 located at the bag wrapping station, so that arrival of an article holding device 'at the wrapping station automatically applies suction to plate |38 and the leading edge of the paper blank is almost immediately thereafter engaged against the suction pad by upward movement of plate |36 and remains so located and held until after the article holding device has left the bag wrapping station with the bag still in position. Accordingly, there is substantially no loss of differential pressure involved 'in operation of the vacuum pad |48.

Reference will now be had to the apparatus which forms the principal part of the present invention, in conjunction with the article holding arms 22 and 30 and the adhesive applicators just described. This mechanism is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 and is mounted upon a pedestal |50 located at the bag wrapping station just beyond the outer ends of the pair of article holding arms 22 and 30 positioned at the wrapping station. Mounted upon the pedestal |50 is a conventional speed reducing gear casing |5| whose input shaft |52 may be belt-connected to a driving motor |53 as at |54.

Reducing gear casing |5| has an output shaft |55 which projects toward the group of vepound bags held by arms 22 and 30 and has fixed thereto a wrapping mechanism supporting and rotating arm |56 which projects upwardly as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, but in its rest position is advanced somewhat from that position, as will presently appear. tending arm |51 likewise xed to output shaft |52 carries an adjustable counterweight |58.

At its outer end (its upper end as shown in Figs. 6 and 7) arm |56 has fixed thereto a stub shaft |60 to which is pivoted a wrapping arm |6|. At its outer end, its lower end as viewed in Fig. 7, arm |6| carries a xed wrapping bar which Yprojects therefrom toward and beyond the grouped bags at the wrapping station, a distance approximately equal to the width of the paper bag blank. Wrapping arm |6| carries an oppositely projecting arm or bar |54 which carries an adjustable counter-weight to balance the arm |6| and bar |62.

An extension coil spring |61 is anchored at one end to a lateral extension |68 formed on supporting arm |56 and at its opposite end to bag wrapping arm 6| and acts to rotate wrapping arm 6| resiliently counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 7. Such rotation is limited by virtue of an abutment |10 formed on wrapper arm |6| against which there engages the end of a screw |1| which is adjustably xed to supporting arm |56 by a lock nutA arrangement designated |12 in Fig. 7.

The arrival of a pair of loaded arms 22 and =30 An oppositely exat'the wrapping station vactuates a switch (not shown) which energizes motor |53 and commences rotation of supporting arm |56 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 7. In Fig. 6 a. pinion |15 on output shaft |55 of the speed reducing gear is shown in mesh with a gear |16. The ratio of pinion |15 and gear |16 is 4:1 so that gear |16 rotates once each time the output shaft |55 makes four rotations and thus after four rotations of output shaft |55 an abutment |11 on gear |16 engages a limit switch |18 which is operative to break the circuit of motor |50.

The waiting position may be as illustrated in Figs. 6 and -'7 with wrapping bar |62 spaced slightly -above the group of bags which come into the wrapping station supported by arms 2'2 and 30, or Vsupporting 'arm maybe advanced somewhat from the position illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 s'o thatwrapping bar |62 is substantially'at its top dead center position. As rock shaft |52 begins rotation in a clockwise direction, wrapping 'arm |6| is stationary relative to the supporting arm |56 by virtue of the engagement 'of screw |1| against abutment |10 and the pull of spring |61. The wrapping bar |62 thus describes the are shown at the top of the dot and dash line representation in Fig. 7 which describes the path of wrapping bar |62 in a Wrapping operation.

Wrapping bar |62 comes into engagement with the top of the group of bags near the right-hand side thereof, and, when it does so, spring |61 is additionally stressed and abutment |10 leaves the end of screw |1| as bar |62 wraps yieldably about the upper corner, the right-hand side and lower corner of the stacked bags, as viewed in Figs. 2, 3 and 7. Up to the time that bar |62 begins to wrap along the lower faces of the holding arms 22 and 30 for the first time its movement is merely idle.

During its movement across the lower face o1' the holding arms 22 'and 30 bar |62 again describes an arc by virtue of the engagement of screw I1| against abutment |10 and as it approaches the lower face of the arms at the lefthand side as viewed in Fig. 7, bar |62 engages the lower face of the bag blank and wraps it around the lower left-hand corner of the holding arm 30, thence upwardly and around the upper face of the stacked bags. An intermediate position in this wrapping operation is illustrated in Fig. 3.

The paper blank is of such length as to wrap three times around the stacked bags and the holding arms. After the rst wrap is completed the adhesively spotted or sprayed portions of the blank commence to be wrapped against the already wrapped layer or layers and this continues until three full plies have been wrapped, whereupon the supporting arm |56 again executes an idle half revolution until it reaches its stopping point through the operation of switch |18.

Referring to Fig. 3, a pair of arms |83 are pivoted to the framework |09 as at |84 and at their upper ends support a transverse plate element |85 which is shown in Fig. 3 in inoperative position. Immediately following the final passage of wrapping arm |62 over the terminal portion of the blank at the point where the vacuum pad |38 is located an air 'cylinder |81 operates to oscilla'te arms |83 in a counterclockwise direction to project plate element |85 upwardly and to the left against the terminal portion of the blank with a wiping and vpressing motion which securely seals and holds the final flap of the bag tube until the turret again indexes and the Wrapped group of bags leaves the wrapping station.

Operation of air cylinder |81 may begin by operation of a limit switch |99 on reducing gear |5i and a suitably located abutment |99 on gear |19. Operation of the air cylinder control valve (not shown) for returning the plate element to inoperative position may be eiected by the indexing movement of the turret, at any time before the completion of such indexing.

At the conclusion of a wrapping operation the bag wrapping mechanism remains idle and the wrapped group of bags remains at the wrapping station until the accumulation of a subsequent group of bags at the loading station is complete and such group is loaded into a pair of holding arms at the loading station and a subsequent indexing operation is initiated. During such indexing operation this new group of bags is brought to the wrapping station and the wrapped group is moved to a third station designated |95 in Figs. l and 2 where the top and bottom faces of the bag may be printed or any other desired operation may take place.

The nature of such subsequent operation is not a part of the present invention. in a still further subsequent indexing operation the wrapped bags at the station designated |95 are moved to a removal station designated generally |96 in Fig. l and illustrated in further detail in Fig. 9.

Referring to Fig. 9, a pair of overhead tracks |91 and |98 extend rigidly between central frame member I8 and column 95. A carriage |99 is movable along tracks |91 and |98 and is adapted to be propelled back and forth by operation of an air cylinder designated 290 in Fig. 1. Air cylinder 200 has a piston rod which connects with carriage |99 to move it to and fro and a pusher plate 209 is rigidly associated with carriage |99.

An auxiliary carriage 205 is likewise movable along tracks |91 and |99 and has a lost motion connection with carriage |99. Auxiliary carriage 205 supports a pair of gripper ngers 206 which are slidable relative to carriage 205 in slot 201 and likewise pivotally movable toward and away from each other. An air cylinder for operating grippers 206 is designated 208 in Fig. 9 and may operate simultaneously with operation of air cylinder 200 when the latter operates to move pusher 209 against the bags in the holder at the unloading station. Air cylinder 208 has a push rod 209 which operates to move the fingers 206 to the left as shown in Fig. 9 from a withdrawn position to the position there illustrated and operates subsequently through the operation of toggles 2|0 to close grippers 206 over the upper edge of the wrapped bag.

At the moment when pusher 209 meets the bags within the wrapper the end of carriage |99 engages an abutment 2|| on auxiliary carriage 205 and thus the pusher 20:3 and grippers 209 move jointly to the right as shown in Fig. 9 to push against the bags and pull on the wrapper and thus jointly strip the wrapped bags from the holding arms 22 and 30. It is to be noted air cylinder 39 which controls pivotal movement of arm is entirely deenergized at the removal station so that arm 30 may pivot either way so that there is a minimum of resistance to the stripping of the bag and contents from arms 22 and 30.

Initiation of this operation of air cylinders 200 and 208 may begin upon the arrival of a wrapped group of bags at the removal station, by an arrangement similar to that illustrated in Fig.

'4.l The valves for operating the cylinders may be directly acted upon by valve operators, as shown in Fig. 4, or they may be solenoid controlled by means of limit switches. When the wrapped group of bags is completely removed from arms 22 and 30, auxiliary carriage 205 may engage a limit switch 2|5 which controls a conventional solenoid valve (not shown)V for reversing the operation of air cylinders 200 and 208.

After the grippers have thus been withdrawn to the right by operation of air cylinder 208 and pusher 204 has been Withdrawn to the left to be clear of the wrapped bag, further operation of cylinder 200 is arrested by engagement of a projection 2|9 on carriage |99 with a switch 2|`| mounted on one of the rails |91 and |98. This maintains both the pusher 204 and the grippers 206 clear of the bag and in a straddling position relative thereto until conveyor belt 220, upon which the wrapped bags are deposited,A moves suiciently to remove the wrapped bags from the removal station.

At a subsequent time in the cycle of operation, for instance at the beginning of a subsequent indexing operation, and by the same impulse which energizes air cylinder 45, the air cylinder 200 may be further energized to withdraw it completely to the left as'illustrated in Fig. 9, auxiliary carriage 205 being carried therewith with grippers 206 open and withdrawn and with carriage |99 and abutment 2|| occupying the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 9, the grippers 206, however, being in an open and withdrawn position. The removing mechanism 208 is then ready for a subsequent bag removing operation.

A description of the operation at each of the work stations has accompanied the description of the structure and it is therefore believed that no further functionaldescription is necessary. It is to be understood that the four Work stations will operate simultaneously. That is, while a group of bags is being wrapped at the wrapping station, a subsequent group is being accumulated for loading at the loading station, the previously Wrapped group at the third station is being printed or otherwise dealt with, and a still previously wrapped group is being stripped from its holding arms at the removal station.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support and extending adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably against the articles and the article holding means, and means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of the article holding means whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the trailing portion of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

2. Apparatus for Wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate'contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means. projecting outwardly therefrom,

wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly Aprojecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support and extending adjacent to the articles held,- by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably against the articles and the article holding means, means for delivering a bag blank to the article holding means, means associated with said delivering means for adhesively coating portions of the bag blank whereby the faces of adjacent plies adhere to each other after wrapping, said delivery means including means for automatically moving the leading edge of the blank tothe article holding means at the beginning of a wrapping operation,y and means for holdingl the leading edge of the bag blank against an exterior surface of the article holding means whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the trailing portion of the blank about the articles andthe article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

3. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support andA article holding means projecting outward therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said Wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support and extending adjacent to the articlesheld by said article holding means, meansgfor revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably against the articles and the article holding means, means for delivering a bag blank to the article holding means, said delivering means including means for automatically moving the leading edge of the bag blank to the article holding means at the beginning of a wrapping operation, and means for holding the leading edge of the bag blank against an exterior surface of the article holding means whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the vtrailing portion of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

4.' Apparatus for Wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support and extending adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means. means urging the wrapping bar yieldably against the articles and the article holding means, means for delivering a bag blankto the article holding means, means associated with said delivering means for adhesively coating portions of the bag blank whereby the faces of adjacent plies adhere to each other. after wrapping, said delivery means including meansA for automaticallyV moving the leading edge of the blank to the article holding means at` the beginning cfa wrapping operation, means for holding the leading edge of the bag blank againstan exterior surfaceof the article, holding means whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the trailing portion of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form, and presser means operable upon final movement of the wrapping bar past the trailing edge portion of the blank to move toward and against such trailing edge portion and assure firm adherence thereof to the preceding ply.

5. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support and extending adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably against the articles and the article holding means, and differential uid pressure means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of the article holding means whereby subsequent'J revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the trailing portion of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form'.

6. Apparatus for wrapping and -securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a yieldably mounted wrapping bar projecting from said second support and in rest position extending adjacent to and spaced from the articles held by said article holding means, means for moving said wrapping bar toward and against said articles and for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means with the wrapping bar in yieldable wrapping engagement against the articles and the article holding means, and means for holding the leading edgeof a bag blank against an exterior surface of the article holding means whereby subsequent revolutionrof the wrapping bar wraps the trailing portion of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

7. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article hold,- ing means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means,Y said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support and extending adjacent-l to the articles held by said article holding means, said wrapping bar being spaced from the articles and article holding means in rest position, means for moving said wrappingbar toward and against the articles and article holding means and forrevolving the bar about said articles and the article holding means, and means for holding the leading edge of the bag blank against an exterior surface of the article holding means whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the trailing portion of the blank about thearticles and accesso 13 the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

8. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the rst support adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding means, and means at an exterior surface of the article holding means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank thereagainst whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the remainder of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

9. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in =bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the first support adjacent to the articles held b-y said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding means, means for delivering a bag blank to the article holding means, means associated with said delivering means for adhesively coating portions of the bag blank whereby the faces of adjacent plies adhere to each other after wrapping, said delivering means including means for automatically moving the leading edge of the bag blank to the article holding means at the beginning of a wrapping operation, and means at an exterior surface of the article holding means for holding the leading edge of the bag blank thereagainst whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the remainder of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

l0. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus Vcomprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second sup4- port toward the rst support adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding means, means for delivering a bag blank to the article holding means, said delivering means including means for automatically moving the leading edge of the bag blank to the article holding means at the beginning of a wrapping operation, and means at an exterior surface of the article holding means for holding the leading edge of the bag blank thereagainst whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the 14 remainder of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tub-ular form.

11. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag `blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the first support adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding means, means for delivering a bag blank to the arti-cle holding means, means associated with said delivering means for adhesively coating portions of the bag blank whereby the faces of adjacent plies adhere to each other after wrapping, said delivering means including means for automatically moving the leading edge of the bag blank to the article holding means at the beginning of a wrapping operation, means at an exterior surface of the article holding means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank thereagainst whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the remainder of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multiply tubular form, and presser means operable upon final movement of the wrapping bar past the trailing edge portion of the blank to move toward and against such trailing edge portion and assure firm adherence thereof to the preceding ply.

12. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly p-rojecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the rst support adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding means, and suction means at an exterior surface of the article holding means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank thereagainst whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the remainder of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multiply tubular form.

13. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a yieldably mounted wrapping bar projecting from said second support in rest position toward the first support adjacent to but spaced from the articles held by said article holding means, means for moving said wrapping bar toward and against said articles and for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means with the wrapping bar in yieldable wrapping engagement with the articles and the article holding means, and means at an I exterior surface of the article holding means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank thereagainst whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the remainder of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multi-ply tubular form.

14. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatuscomprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, Wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the first support adjacent to the articles held by Said article holding means, said wrapping bar being spaced from the articles and article holding means in rest position, means for moving said wrapping bar toward and against the articles and article holding means and for revolving the bar about said articles and the article holding means, and means at an exterior surface of the article holding means for holding the leading edge of the bag blank thereagainst whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the remainder of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in multiply tubular form.

15. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus including article holding means comprising a pair of outwardly projecting holding arms each having a base portion and a side wall portion for receiving a group of articles resting on said base portions and coniined between the side wall portions, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting arms, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the first support adjacent to the articles held by said holding arms, means for lrevolving said bar about said articles and the holding arms, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding arms, and means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of one of the holding arms whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the blank about the articles and the holding arms in multi-ply tubular form.

16. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus including article holding means comprising a pair of outwardly projecting holding arms each having a base portion and a side wall portion for receiving a group of articles resting on said base portions and confined between the sidewall portions, wrapping mechanism and a supporttherefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting arms, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the first support adjacent to the articles held by said holding arms, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the holding arms, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding arms, means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of one of the holding arms whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the blank about the articles and the holding arms in multiply tubular form, and means for subsequently CSA engagingk the assembly comprising the wrapped articles and moving the same outwardly of said arms to strip the wrapped articles therefrom.

l?. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus including article holding means comprising a pair of outwardly projecting arms having relatively flat plate portions movable away from each other to receive a group o1'- articles and toward each other to engage and compact the group of articles for wrapping, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting arms, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the lfirst support adjacent to the articles held by said holding arms, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the holding arms, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding arms, and means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of one of the article holding arms whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the blank about the articles and the holding arms in multi-ply tubular form,

18. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus including article holding means comprising a pair of outwardly projecting arms having relatively flat plate portions movable away from each othe to receive a group of articles and toward each other to engage and compact the group of articles for wrapping, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting arms, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the first support adjacent to the articles held by said holding arms, means for revolving said bar about said articles and. the holding arms, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the article holding arms, means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of one of the article holding arms whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the blank about the articles and the holding arms in multiply tubular form, and means for subsequently engaging the assembly comprising the wrapped articles and moving the same outwardly of said arms to strip the wrapped articles therefrom.

19. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the ultimate contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus comprising a support and article holding means projecting outwardly therefrom, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting article holding means, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support and extending adjacent to the articles held by said article holding means, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the article holding means, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably against the articles and the article holding means, and means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of the article holding means whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the trailing portion of the blank about the articles and the article holding means in openended tubular form.

20. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blankiin. tubular` form aboutthe contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus including article holding means comprising a pair of outwardly projecting arms which cooperate to form an article receiving channel for receiving a group of articles therein, the channel portion of said arms comprising flat plate portions adapted to lie closely against the articles, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting arms, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the rst support adjacent to the articles held by said arms, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the arms, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the arms, and means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of one of the arms whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the blank about the articles and the arms in tubular form.

21. Apparatus for wrapping and securing a bag blank in tubular form about the contents of the bag as a step in bag fabrication, said apparatus including article holding means comprising a pair of outwardly projecting arms which cooperate to form an article receiving channel for receiving a group of articles therein, the channel portion of said arms comprising flat plate portions adapted to lie closely against the articles, wrapping mechanism and a support therefor disposed beyond said outwardly projecting arms, said wrapping mechanism including a wrapping bar projecting from said second support toward the rst support adjacent to the articles held by said arms, means for revolving said bar about said articles and the arms, means urging the wrapping bar yieldably toward the articles and the arms, means for holding the leading edge of a bag blank against an exterior surface of one of the arms whereby subsequent revolution of the wrapping bar wraps the blank about the articles and the arms in tubular form, and means for subsequently engaging the assembly comprising the wrapped articles and moving the same outwardly of said arms to strip the wrapped articles therefrom.

22. In wrapping apparatus, a support and a pair of outwardly projecting holding -arms each having a base plate portion and a side wall -plate portion cooperating to receive a group of articles resting on the base plate portion and confined between the side wall plate portions, means for wrapping and securing a bag blank about said articles and said arms in open-ended tubular form, and means operable to strip the wrapped articles from said holding arms, said stripping means comprising a pusher engageable against the articles from the inner ends of said arms and gripping means engageable with the outer end of the tubular Wrapping, said pusher and said gripping means being movable simultaneously outwardly of said arms to strip the wrapped articles therefrom without altering the position 18 of the articles within and relative to the tubular Wrapping.

23. In wrapping apparatus, 4a support and a pair of outwardly projecting holding arms cooperating to Ireceive a group of articles, means for wrapping and securing a bag blank about said articles and said arms in open-ended tubular form, and means operable to strip the wrapped articles from said holding arms, said stripping means comprising a pusher engageable against the articles from the inner ends of said arms and gripping means engageable with the outer end of the tubular wrapping, said pusher and said gripping means -being movable simultaneously outwardly of said arms to strip the wrapped articles therefrom without altering the position of the articles within and relative to the tubular Wrapping.

24. In Wrapping apparatus, a support and outwardly projecting holding means adapted to receive a group of articles, means for Wrapping and securing a bag blank about said articles and said Iholding means in open-ended tubular form, and means operable to strip the wrapped articles from said holding means, said stripping means comprising a Vpusher engageable against the articles from the inner ends of said holding means and gripping means engageable with the outer end of the tubular wrapping, said pusher and said gripping means being movable lsimultaneously outwardly of said holding means to strip the wrapped articles therefrom without altering the position of the articles within and relative to the tubular wrapping.

HOWARD G. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,105,759 Cummins Aug. 4, 1914 1,241,491 Bickerstaif Oct. 2, 1917 1,247,364 Bracy Nov. 20, 1917 1,589,229 Roberts June 15, 1926 1,875,986 Bronander Sept. 6, 1932 1,926,192 Bronander Sept. 12, 1933 2,121,135 Vergobbi June 21, 1938 y 2,163,265 Townsend June 20, 1939 2,182,113 Bronander Dec. 5, 1939 2,260,332 Petskeyes Oct. 28, 1941 2,271,954 Rockhill Feb. 3, 1942 2,291,645 Nordquist Apr. 4, 1942 2,347,560 Hoppe Apr. 25, 1944 2,396,720 Nolt Mar. 19, 1946 2,397,190 Malhoit Mar. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 680,157 Germany Aug. 24, 1939 

